This is a story about silence--- the causes and effects, the
costs and benefits, but mostly the breaching of it. Late summer
before her freshman year in high school, Melinda calls 911 ending a
party and becoming a pariah. The first day of class a few weeks
later, she is left to talk with Heather, a new girl, while everyone
else snickers or ignores her. Melinda's parents are not getting
along, Heather deserts her for the Martha's, girls who dress, act,
and try to think as one, and IT appears in Melinda's dreams and
around every corner. When day-to-day existence becomes too much to
bear she takes refuge in a janitor's closet, to which she adds some
posters and a comforter. But even there she's not safe from Andy
Evans, the boy who raped her at the party and who is now dating the
girl who used to be her best friend.

Anderson provides the reader with hints of what happened at the
party throughout the text, as Melinda attempts to break her silence
and explain why she had to call 911. As the story unfolds some
readers will react like the accepting, available art teacher; Mr.
Freeman, some will respond like the critical, absent parents; and
some will recognize the adolescent, self-absorbed students at her
high school. The wonderfully descriptive language, along with the
suspense, capture and propel the reader through this tale.
Speak was a National Book Award finalist in 1999.

Katherine Barr
Florida State University

Places I Never Meant to Be: Original Stories by Censored
Writers edited by Judy Blume
American Short Stories
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 1999. 198 pages.
$16.95
ISBN: 0-689-82034-8

This collection of contemporary stories by thirteen well-known
young adult writers is a good read. Popular themes in young adult
literature -- family strife, culture clash, sexual tension, coming
of age -- are all explored in perceptive and entertaining vignettes
that can be read in one classroom setting.

What makes this book special, though, are the authors'
perspectives on censorship. Readers will learn much from popular
novelist Judy Blume's recount of her personal experiences with
censorship. Other authors Ð Norma Fox Mazer, Paul Zindel, Susan
Beth Pfeiffer, Walter Dean Meyers, David Klass --- include their
particular perspectives, adding considerably to our understanding
of what it means to be a writer "held in contempt" for their work.
Of particular note is the excellent letter included from the
Executive Director of the National Coalition Against Censorship,
explaining in detail the problems and concerns with current
censored material in the United States. Teachers devoted to
preserving academic freedom should find a spot on their desk for
this book.

The latest edition to the Eyewitness Classic series is the tale
of Charles Dicken's Oliver Twist. First published in England
in serial form from 1837-38, Oliver Twist was also the first
novel in the English language featuring a youngster as the
protagonist. Adapted by Naia Bray-Moffat, this Oliver is a
fascinating historical picture of Victorian London. The picturesque
characters and mesmerizing plot-perhaps more familiar to modern
audiences through the musical version on stage and screen-gain new
life in the story of the futility of crime through the addition of
historical detail and carefully crafted illustrations.

For those searching for a way to bring the classics to life, DK
Publishing provides a smart solution. This easy to read adaptation
and accompanying material about children and crime in the 19th
century England - including amap of Oliver's underground world, -
is just the "thing" to help young people learn about Dickens'
London.

Additional volumes in the series include 20,000 Leagues Under
the Sea, Robinson Crusoe, King Arthur, Aladdin, A Christmas Carol,
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Dracula,
Robin Hood, and Black Beauty.

Here's a fascinating survival story for younger readers.
Nine-year-old Trisha McFarland becomes separated from her mother
and older teenage brother while hiking along the Appalachian Trail
in Maine.

Armed with only her lunch, her rain poncho and her Walkman,
Trisha wanders throughout the woods, following streams, sinking in
swamps, fighting bugs, and scavenging for survival. A devout Boston
Red Sox fan, Trisha tunes into games on her Walkman, following
especially the movements of her hero, relief pitcher Tom Gordon.
Desperate, she hallucinates that Tom Gordon is beside her, talking
to her and keeping her alive.

If any author can convince readers that a nine-year-old can
survive nine days in the wilderness, Stephen King can. Readers will
root for Trisha while she cheers on her favorite ball player. This
novel is fast-paced and easy to read. Trisha is a brave, strong,
spirited young girl whose passionate belief in the world's goodness
helps her survive.

In fifteenth-century Pergamontio, twelve-year-old Fabrizio plays
with some tarot cards against the advice of his master, Mangus the
Magician. Mangus is trying to get out of magic and devote himself
to being a good Christian.

However, Fabrizio and Mangus are soon involved in a request by
King Claudio to free his daughter, ten-year-old Princess Teresina,
of a ghost who visits her. The Princess suspects it is her murdered
brother, heir to the throne of their father, King Claudio.

Lurking in the shadows, though, is Count Scarazoni - who also
wants to be king. So, young Fabrizio and Mangus must use magic to
thwart Count Scarazoni, free the Princess, and save the throne.

Early adolescents will revel in this story filled with secret
passages, mysterious mishaps, and eerie moments. Chapters ending in
cliff hangers and a parade of characters with strange names
embellish a story where truth is revealed and good prevails.

Witches have long been a topic of interest to adolescents. Now,
with the success of the low budget horror movie, The Blair Witch
Project, interest in witches and witchcraft has increased among
adolescents.

Meltzer's thoughtful new nonfiction book on witchcraft fits the
bill. It is not a simple recounting of the witchcraft trials of the
past. Instead, Meltzer discusses the reasons behind many of the
witch-hunts, giving readers a broader view. Working chronologically
from the past to the present, Meltzer presents information about
witch-hunts around the world. Included in his analyses are stories
of traditional witches who cast spells and non-traditional figures,
like Adolf Hider and Joseph McCarthy, who masterminded their own
devastating modern-day witch-hunts.

Teachers looking for ways to discuss issues such as prejudice,
discrimination, and racism will find this book quite useful. Social
studies teachers will find Meltzer's approach an excellent model of
historical analysis for their classrooms. He once again
demonstrates that nonfiction can be interesting as well as
informative.

Fifteen-year-old Sage Oliver has begun what she believes will be
her career as a writer of romance novels and has compiled the
beginnings of over 600 love stories. All of her work includes the
same heroine, Angelica, a woman who is driven by her inner strength
and sex appeal. Sage's best friend and eventual boyfriend, George
Blandford, knows firsthand how awful Sage's writing is but does not
have the nerve to break her heart by telling her. However, when
Sage decides to submit her newest creation, Angelica and the
Seminole Indians, into the school's writing contest, George
knows he must stop Sage from entering the contest and facing
definite humiliation.

Williams allows both Sage and George to take turns as narrators,
and she also includes love poems throughout the novel. Williams has
created another fine YA novel and a must-read for YA romantics.

The Hall family of four children, two parents, and six cats have
lived all over the world -- but never in one place for long.
Eleven-year-old Peter, though, thrives on change. He loves new
places. And he especially loves his cats. In fact, since Peter is
never in one place long enough to make real friends, his family and
cats become his substitute friends.

One day, though, Peter's family makes a permanent move to
Boston. Now, most of the family's time revolves around work, school
and making new friends. Peter, though, misses the closeness of
family that he once depended upon, and turns to his many cats for
comfort.

Throughout the first year in Boston, Peter experiences
bitterness, loss, and finally acceptance and maturity when he
realizes that permanence and outside friends don't necessarily mean
a lessening of love and attachment with his family.

Susan Shreve writes a likable story of the love between cats and
people that younger readers will enjoy. Moreover, she successfully
uses Peter to capture insights about growing up that older readers
will appreciate.

The founder of Chicago, called EscNkagou, was Jean
Baptiste Pointe Du Sable, a Black man of French and African
descent. James Davis was the first African-American born in the
Northwest Territory. Harriet and Dred Scott used Minnesota's free
state status to start the famous lawsuit for their freedom. These
are some of the many examples of Black pioneers who helped settle
the Old Northwest Territory.

In Black Pioneers: An Untold Story, William Katz writes
in an approachable, conversational tone, encouraging the reader to
revise notions of the role African-Americans played in this epoch
of the American history. From the origins of the Revolutionary War
to the end of the Civil War, Katz knits together biographic
research, images, and other artifacts.

The end product is a book equally entertaining and informative;
one in which Katz recounts the long, unsteady progress of
African-Americans towards freedom and dignity.

David Gill
University of North Carolina, Wilmington

The Way Things Never Were: The Truth About the 'Good Old
Days'
by Norman H. Finkelstein
Nonfiction/History
Atheneum, 1999. 103 pages. $16.00
ISBN: 0-689-81412-7

Like countless generations before them, today's teens are
bombarded with adult comments about the good old days. But were
those days all that good?

Norman Finkelstein addresses that question by taking off the
prerequisite rose colored glasses and introducing young teenagers
to the 1950's and 60's. He delves into tried and true phrases such
as "doctors cared because they made house calls," "the air was much
cleaner," "the family stayed home together," and "we never had to
lock our doors." Finkelstein shows the downside of these sweeping
perceptions: the polio epidemics, the increasing smog and polluted
rivers, the domestic poverty, the confining roles of women, the
threat of nuclear war, and the world's very real civil unrest.

Although the information is interesting, it's the format of this
readable social history that is intriguing. The author entices us
by starting with "what we think we know," and then questioning our
perceptions. The result is a thoughtful and appealing look at
contemporary history, covering topics as diverse as the birth of
the interstate highway system to the violent attempts to bring
civil rights to all Americans.

Amelia's Maryland town is split by allegiance to the Confederacy
or the Union. After Amelia carries a story to the town's newspaper
editor, there are consequences that make Amelia vow not to take
sides in the war. That decision is difficult to keep as her family
and friends take sides. When a Confederate general threatens to
burn the town if a ransom isn't met, Amelia must get involved.

Ann Rinaldi brings history to life again as she builds a story
around the ransom of Hagerstown, Maryland, which took place in
1864. Young readers will find themselves caught up in the events of
the Civil War battles and the characters in this book.

This is an imaginative tale of a spunky young girl who wants to
follow in her father's footsteps and become a "master fireworks
maker." The trouble is that she must team with the secret behind
making outstanding fireworks.

Soon, our heroine learns that the secret of outstanding
fireworks resides with the "Fire-Fiend" in the "Heart of the
Mountain". So, she runs away from her home to locate "the secret,"
only to find trouble and misadventure along the way. This short and
very readable novel alternates between a description of the girl's
journey and her father's desperate attempt to find his runaway
daughter.

This book is a wonderful blend of humor, adventure, and wisdom,
set in an exotic Far Eastern setting. All the characters in the
book have memorable personalities and the descriptions of the
forests, mountains, and the fireworks make for a colorful and
enjoyable read.

The Firework Maker's Daughter is a short book with a
strong, young heroine and is appropriate for late elementary and
early middle school readers.

The McKissacks have done an excellent job in researching a
chapter of African-American history that is seldom explored by
history texts -- the whaling industry and black slavery.

Between 1800-1860, the United States whaling industry reached
its "golden age." Both black seamen, who were free and liberated,
and runaway slaves, were thrown together on whaling vessels. There,
runaway slaves could make good on their escapes from the hands of
oppression while black whaleman could rise to the level of sea
captains or even, owners of whaling ships. This was an unusual and
precedent-setting time in American history.

Patricia and Frederick McKissack underline, in a well-written
narrative, the ties of the industry to the abolitionist movement,
including a discussion of the work of renowned African-American
leader, Frederick Douglass. As history notes, Douglass was a
caulker on a whaling ship prior to his involvement in the
abolitionist movement.

This wonderful text explores the lives of individual
African-Americans who were active in whaling - detailing their
accomplishments and impact on the industry. This book would be fine
addition to any classroom where teachers yearn to teach new
perspectives on American history.

In this new addition to the popular "Dear America" series,
15-year-old Amelia Martin helps to operate the lighthouse at
Fenwick Island, Delaware. It is the mid-1800's, just at the
outbreak of the Civil War, and Amelia, verging on young adulthood,
takes her responsibilities very seriously. She knows that people's
lives depend on the diligent performance of her duties, especially
during storms.

Many types of storms, though, buffet Amelia's teenage years.
First, she must convince the Lighthouse Board that a young woman is
capable of keeping the light. Second, she must watch helplessly as
her country and her community go to war over the issue of slavery.
And finally, she tries to make peace between her embittered and
battle-frightened parents. Through it all, she vows to "keep the
Light, in all weather, under every adversity."

As with other books in the series, Amelia's observations of her
life and times are presented in diary form. What is special about
this volume is that the main character is based on a real woman,
Ida Lewis, who saved 22 people in performance of her duties as a
lighthouse keeper during the Civil War era. The author's notes on
life in 1861 will help young readers understand the turmoil created
by the Civil War in the lives of average American citizens.

Here is a novel book, one for those wanting something "slightly
different." They Saw the Future ... presents 12 chapters on
individuals, groups, or civilizations (such as the ancient Maya)
who predicted the future. They range from the Oracle at Delphi and
the Sibyls to Jeanne Dixon and Marshall McLuhan. This is a
fascinating read.

Each chapter begins with an illustration of the psychic and an
attributed quote. What follows is the author's analysis of how the
"medium" worked -- did they read palms? charts? Interpret dreams?
explore trends? -- and then how well they were received during
their lifetime. Did their predictions come true? Did people believe
them? Who was held in esteem? Who was feared? And why?

This worthwhile, readable book may be read in total or by
chapters for those interested in a particular time period,
particular psychics, and specific predictions.

Sarah Nita, a Navajo, narrates to her granddaughter her story of
the 1864 "Long Walk," where Navajos were forced by white soldiers
to relocate and undertake a grueling march to Fort Sumner, MN.

Sarah was twelve years old when she and her sister escaped the
soldiers' decimation of her clan. Presumably orphaned, they
traveled to Tseyi, where they had family. On arrival, they were
adopted by other Navajos, many also escapees.

Soon, soldiers returned and demanded Navajo surrender. Thus
began the terrible four day trek through freezing weather to Ft.
Sumner; those unable to walk were either left or killed. At the
fort, survivors faced grueling labor and, although they were given
food, it was unfamiliar and thus unpalatable. The girls were
reunited with their parents and lived there for four years, until
government release.

This book could be paired with Holocaust or Japanese internment
literature. Historically, the capture and containment of the
Navajos resulted from whites' fears of their nomadic and raiding
lifestyle. This fear is mentioned in the end "Historical Notes,"
but not in the story, where Navajos were portrayed as stable and
peaceful. Photographs and information regarding the Navajo 1864
"Long Walk" are also included.

This book's special feature is its delicate and detailed
description of Navajo life.

Those thousands of fans already familiar with this series will
not be disappointed; Rowling is surprisingly inventive in her small
details and startling in her plot twists. And what is particularly
pleasing is that Harry grows in this novel, as the thematic
concerns of the series grow in complexity. In this, the 3rd
Harry Potter book, Harry returns to Hogwarts for his third
year. He is shadowed by the knowledge of Sirius Black, a close
associate of Lord Voldemort and one-time intimate friend of Harry's
parents. Lord Voldemort has escaped from the prison of Azkaban and
is undoubtedly looking to avenge himself upon Harry.

While struggling with this shadow, Harry also deals with the
presence of the Dementors, the guards of Azkaban. The Dementors are
looking for Sirus Black because they want to suck all joy and
happiness out of those they find, and Harry, because of his past,
is particularly susceptible to their powers. Supported by close
friends Ron and Hermione, our hero Harry faces Black, fights for
the House Cup, and in the end, comes to a new knowledge of his
parents that he had never dreamed possible.

Here the good and the evil are not so starkly drawn, and may
even at times blend in disturbing ways. If the final unraveling of
the mystery is a bit clumsy, handled by lengthy and stilted
exposition rather than her usual brisk action, Rowling is still
wonderfully adept at creating engaging characters and a narrative
line that pushes forward at a remarkable pace.

Maleeka Madison has problems fitting in with others at her
school. Her hair is too nappy, her skin is too dark, her grades are
too good, her clothes are too weird, and her teachers are too fond
of her. She desperately tries to make friends and to be accepted by
her peers. Her situation drastically changes when she meets Miss
Saunders, and the changes are not always for the better.

The Skin I'm In is a compelling novel of a young girl's
struggle with self-acceptance and acceptance by her peer group.
Through her struggles and with her teacher's help, she learns "to
look into the mirror and like what [she sees], even when it doesn't
look like anybody else's idea of beauty." Readers will find strong
characters and an engaging plot in this book.

It is the 1950's and the newspapers are full of the bus boycott
in Montgomery, Alabama. Violence erupts in the small Southern town
of Blue Gap when Jewish leader Nat Stem selects Lovelle Cardwell, a
decorated World War II veteran, as the town's first African
American police officer. In an attempt to maintain the status
quo, some of the townspeople deface the synagogue with a
Swastika, set Stem's house afire, and attack members of both the
African American and Jewish communities.

Audrey Ina, Nat Stem's daughter, and Tante, a distant family
relative and Holocaust survivor living with the Stems, provide the
reader with personal and historical perspectives on this violence.
Although focused on the incident in Blue Gap, the author
successfully encourages the reader to see these events in a larger
context through Nat and Audrey Ina's long and quiet talks about
larger world events, and even Einstein's theory of relativity.

Christmas for the Robinson's is far from merry. Both Mrs.
Robinson and the beloved family dog are very ill. After hearing a
local legend in which a dolphin-hilted sword grants wishes,
eight-year-old Beany decides the family needs a bit of that dolphin
luck.

Needing rest and recuperation, Mrs. Robinson heads alone to a
seaside resort, leaving her family to be split among friends and
relatives. Beany and ten-year-old Sun Dance stay with a neighbor,
and twelve-year-old twins, Ant and Perry, are sent to stay with
"crazy" Great Aunt Mabel.

Beany spends her days searching for the lost dolphin sword while
Sun Dance sets traps to protect the vacant family home from
burglars. The twins have unusual adventures of their own. But no
one is prepared for the burglar Sun Dance's trap does
catch.

McKay writes a humorous story of self-reliance and courage,
which accurately portrays Beany's desire to make everything right
again through the magic of wishes-come-true.

Once, while sitting in church listening to a somber sermon, I
got an uncontrollable case of the giggles. The more I tried to
contain and compose myself, the more my body shook. Finally, I
exploded into an enormous laugh. Reading Lubar's Monster
Road affected me in exactly the same way. I could not stifle
the giggles that arose as I read about the young misfit Kevin, his
eccentric scientist uncle, Ned, and the silly situations in which
they found themselves. I could not muffle chuckles as I read about
the two being chased out of town by the spirits whom they had
roused from cemetery sleep when Ned's life ray actually worked. I
couldn't swallow the giggles that popped up while I read about the
two spending the night with a friendly but hungry vampire. I
couldn't help bursting out with laughter when I read that Ned
finally found his soul mate, and the novel became, as Lubar
promises, a "love story." I smiled when Kevin finally felt accepted
in Ned's odd world.

In Monster Road, Lubar does not frighten readers with the
macabre markers that appear of many contemporary horror stories;
instead, he makes us laugh, and he encourages us to think about
what life looks like for a kid who never feels quite like he
belongs. Young adolescent readers (and adults, too!) will find this
an entertaining quick read.

Paying close attention to historical detail, Peter Burchard
delves into the complexities of President Abraham Lincoln and the
times in which he lived. The result is an illuminating portrayal of
Lincoln that explores both his personal view and political stance
on slavery. Although Burchard's overall attitude toward Lincoln is
one of deepest respect, he does not overlook nor sugarcoat the
troublesome aspects of some of Lincoln's statements about or
positions toward people of African descent. Instead he tries to
provide a context for Lincoln's beliefs and shows the development
of his thinking about people of the Negro race. Of particular
interest are Lincoln's dealings with Frederick Douglass and
Sojourner Truth and what they themselves had to say about
Lincoln.

Readers with a keen interest in Lincoln and the Civil War period
will find much of worth here, but this is not light reading. The
book cannot really serve as a reference, but rather requires a
thoughtful, cover to-cover reading if one is to fully understand
Lincoln's devotion to the concept of democracy, his unwavering
belief in the importance of the Union, and his personal hatred of
slavery.

The many photographs and artists' renditions of significant
people and events enhance the text greatly, and the comprehensive
bibliography and bibliographical essays speak highly of Burchard's
scholarship.

When the Nazis enter Paris in 1940, Karin's life changes
drastically. She is branded a Jew and not allowed to do normal
everyday things like own a phone or a pet or even go to city parks.
And then tragedy strikes. Her father is killed and she, her mother
and older brother flee in desperation, hiding wherever they can.
Unfortunately, though, their mother-- known to them as Maman --
gets very sick.

Yet, fearing for their own life, Karin and her brother Mark have
to leave France without her. In Naples, Italy, they are able to
board a ship which will take them to America and safety.

Living in America, Karin's young life is marked by going to
school, making friends, and living with an annoying older brother.
Nevertheless, beneath her ordinary world, Karin is still haunted by
whatever happened to her darling Maman. One day, however, she can
no longer avoid the painful subject.

This well-written book offers detailed information about Karin's
life on the run and about the reception the refugees got in New
York (the only WWII refugee camp on American soil) as we see
America through the eyes of someone new to this country.

Finally available at a reasonable price, this third and
concluding volume in the "Dark Angel" trilogy brings the
resolutions of conflicts and challenges that Aerial and 1rrylath
faced through the first two volumes.

Nine years is a long time to wait for a book, but diehard Pierce
fans will be swarming the shelves for this 1999 paperback version.
Themes of self-sacrifice and responsibility and the preservation of
the balance and interdependence of all nature rise from the
action-filled plot based on the journey-with-a-mission motif.
Pierce once again shows her talent as an artist, painting the
scenes in vibrant technicolor.

Through her use of symbolism and imagery, she will capture most
readers to prepare them for this powerful tale of reason over
passion, good over evil, and responsibility over selfishness. Some
readers will be disappointed with the not-so-happy ending, but more
mature readers will readily discern the inevitability of the
outcome. For the reader not already conversant with Pierce's
characters and places, a helpful pronunciation guide accompanies
the text.

Down the road from her grandparents' Shell Beach, Connecticut,
home, fifteen-year-old Macey Clare discovers the foundation of a
barn that burned down nearly forty years ago. Naturally curious,
Macey wants to know more about the barn and the circumstances
behind the fire. So, she begins asking her grandparents and their
neighbors. But, when Macey finds normally friendly people evading
her questions, her desire to learn more about the barn only
increases.

Macey meets up with another neighborhood teenager, Austin, and
together, they begin to gather facts about the barn's mysterious
fire. They learn that the last inhabitant of the barn was one Wade
Sibley, the first and only African-American teacher in this small
Connecticut town. Macey suspects racism and her hunt for the truth
leads her to a conflict that unwittingly tears her once perfect
hometown and family apart.

Caroline Cooney, author of many fine young adult novels, writes
another fine coming-of-age tale where young love -- Austin and
Macey eventually become an item -- and the desire for truth and
justice become intertwined in a moving and convincing read.